A Theater Actress’s Turbulent Journey Through a Cult and Its Lasting Shadows

Alexis Soloski’s novel "Flashout" is a taut 280-page thriller that propels readers from the gritty underbelly of 1970s New York City to the sunlit yet troubled streets of 1990s Los Angeles. The story unfolds through interwoven timelines, following Allison Hayes, a young actress whose life is shadowed by secrets and complex loyalties.

The narrative begins in New York City in 1972, where 19-year-old Allison defies her college curfew to attend an underground performance — a dark reinterpretation of the Book of Exodus — that erupts onto the grimy sidewalks of Times Square, evolving into a mesmerizing street spectacle. Drawn to its raw energy, Allison becomes entangled with Theater Negative, a chaotic troupe led by the charismatic yet menacing Peter, who casts himself as both artist and prophet. Though the group professes collective ideals, Peter’s assertion that he will play God underscores his dominating presence.

The story then shifts to Los Angeles in 1997, where Allison, now married and going by Mrs. Morales, works as a theater teacher at an elite private school. She coaches privileged teens through Shakespearean monologues, all while juggling a secretive and troubled double life. By day, she endures a transactional relationship with the school’s headmaster, Dan; by night, she seeks fleeting, no-strings encounters with women in an attempt to reclaim authenticity and spontaneity. Her sharp disdain for her students injects moments of dark humor, such as her correction of a misused word during an English lesson. Yet beneath this controlled facade, Allison’s simmering violent impulses and a haunting past threaten to unravel her carefully constructed existence — especially after receiving an anonymous message that hints at long-buried secrets.

Soloski’s dual narrative structure is a compelling device. The chapters featuring young Allison are told in a vivid, urgent first-person voice, immersing readers in the squalid loft shared by Theater Negative’s eclectic members: "She led me to a sagging mattress on the floor and handed me a glass of juice laced with clear liquor before falling asleep. Peter had me then, bent over the sink in the grimy bathroom, the tub rimmed with dirt, the toilet worse." This world of bohemian performance art gradually reveals itself as a genuine cult. Meanwhile, the middle-aged Allison’s story unfolds in a detached third-person narration, reflecting a woman who has spent years suppressing painful memories: "There was nothing wrong with wanting women... They couldn’t fire her for that anymore. There were protections. But they could make things difficult." The interplay between these perspectives creates a haunting echo of past and present, desire and denial.